Slone And Scott To Headline U Cup Awards Gala
Tara Slone and Dr. David Scott
(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB Varsity Reds, proud hosts of the 2018 Cavendish Farms Coupe University Cup, are pleased to announce that renowned sports psychologist Dr. David Scott and Tara Slone, of ‘Rogers Hometown Hockey,’ will headline the 2018 U SPORTS men’s hockey awards gala, at the University of New Brunswick’s Richard J. Currie Center.
The event takes place on Wednesday, March 14th, at 7:30pm, and serves as the official kick-off of the national university men’s hockey championship tournament.
Dr. Scott, known for his work in performance enhancement in sport through psychology, will be the guest speaker.
He’s published more than a dozen articles in sports psychology and psychology journals, and has presented his research findings at more than 30 national and international conferences.
An Associate Professor in UNB’s Faculty of Kinesiology, he graduated from the University of Ulster, in Belfast, Ireland, before earning his PhD in sports psychology from the University of Victoria.
He’s worked with NHL teams, and spent considerable time with the 1997-1998 UNB Varsity Reds, helping that team win UNB’s first University Cup.
“To win a first national hockey championship was a great achievement, but looking back from twenty years later, it really was all about the journey,” says Scott. “Those overtime games, those comeback wins, those nail-biting moments, that’s where we learned the life lessons that we continue to use today.”
Slone returns for a second year to serve as Master of Ceremonies.
On ‘Rogers Hometown Hockey,’ she’s co-host of a weekly hockey show, broadcast across the country. The program originates from a different location each week, and Slone, along with co-host Ron MacLean, tell the stories of each community.
“I’m so excited to be heading back to Fredericton to once again host the U Cup Gala, and to continue to spread the word about the high-level game that is U SPORTS hockey,” says Slone.
“Not only is UNB a top-notch school that always puts on a fantastic event, but the players that we’re celebrating are of the highest caliber, both on and off the ice. I know it will be an amazing evening.”
The 2018 University Cup marks the 12th time the Varsity Reds have hosted a national university championship event in 16 years.
“The Varsity Reds are proud to host national championship events, and showcase our talent, our campus, our city, and our province,” says John Richard, UNB’s Director of Athletics. “Having Dr. Scott and Tara shows we’re serious about hosting. They’ll bring quality and professionalism to the awards gala and make it an entertaining and special night for all.”
Competition begins the next day, Thursday, March 15th, at UNB’s Aitken University Centre. The first two quarter-final games will be played at 1:00pm and 7:00pm.
The second pair of quarter-final games will be played Friday, March 16th, at 1:00pm and 7:00pm.
Semi-final Saturday, March 17th, features games at 12:00pm and 4:00pm.
On Sunday, March 18th, the bronze medal game will be played at 10:00am and the gold medal game goes at 2:00pm.
Ticket packages for the 2018 Cavendish Farms University Cup are available at the AUC box office, and on line at: www.vreds.ca